Year
2016
Abstract
This paper presents the new KM200 electronics. It is a reconfigurable platform intended to address deficiencies in commonly used safeguards systems such as PDT10A and devices based on the AMPTEK A111 hybrid circuit. The KM200 consists of two 28X40mm boards containing high voltage filter, preamplifier, shaper, discriminator, a double pulsing suppression circuit (discussed later), and an output driver. Signal processing parameters can be adapted for wide variety of thermal neutron detectors such as 3He tubes, Boron lined tubes, and 235U fission chambers without board design modifications by changing component values. Detector properties, such as charge collection time and pulse non- uniformity vary significantly across and within detector types. The KM200 has a novel double pulsing suppression circuit, which allows faster shapers to be used with slow tubes decreasing dead time. We will present different devices for 3He detectors starting with two universal KM200 versions, KM200- SLOW and KM200-FAST that span a wide range of 3He detectors. These versions were tested with tubes with N2, CO2, and Ar+CO2 admixes. The results from a side by side comparison study of KM200-SLOW and KM200-FAST with A111 and PDT10A on the above mentioned tubes will be presented, along with data from the KM200-VWCC version delivered to IAEA to upgrade their Vitrified Waste Coincidence Counter. A novel dual channel architecture KM200-DCA design intended to operate at 106 cps was developed for Differential Die-Away (DDA) spent fuel measurements.